"Spending patterns vary by age, region of the county, the size of the household, and income, among other things. Some things are purchased infrequently, others on a regular basis. The Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts the Consumer Expenditure Survey to quantify some of these observations. The seven major categories in the Survey are food, housing, apparel and services, transportation, health care, entertainment, and an "other" category that is mostly taken up by personal insurance and pensions, but also includes personal care products, reading, education, tobacco products, cash contributions, and miscellaneous items. Although the dollar amounts vary with every Survey report, some trends have been in place for many years." Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics The following numbers are all approximations, and not every number is not an absolute meaning your personal budget may not reflect that of the national average..but for argument sake let's go with the following figures despite the pluses and minuses. Also note that: This survey was taken in 1995. This data was based on families having an average income of approximately $37K per year and an outlay of approximately $32K per year. 1. Food  14%  2. Housing  32% 3. Apparel and Services 5%  4. Transportation 19%  5. Health Care 12%  6. Entertainment 5%  7. and "other" things / insurance, pensions, personal care products, reading, education, tobacco products, cash contributions, and miscellaneous items 13%

Approximately 94.5 % of the working population of this country have a job; be they good jobs, or bad jobs, high paying jobs, or jobs that don't pay zipola, the point is is that we have a lot of people in this nation making a paycheck. Of all of those dollars that are to be spent or taxed or whatever those who do attend the places of worship that they choose to attend either be it weekly, monthly, and/or whenever..gives approximately ONLY 2.5% of their total income in tithes and/or offerings or donations, and/or contributions totaling somewhere around $865.00 each year per family or just under $17.00 each week per family. Have I wandered off that road of facts and figures and begun to meddle? My guess...probably yes.

I've heard it said that of that money (that $865.00 a year, or that $17.00 a week received by said churches, etc.) somewhere between 80 to 90% of those dollars are given out to a small minority of church members, or their family members or to those simply looking for a handout from the church who contribute NOTHING, ZIP, NADDA to the church proper, leaving approximately $4.25 (four dollars and twenty five cents) to do everything with such as pay the churches electric bills, the taxes, the water and sewage, and even the pastor's paycheck with. 

What am I saying? It seems that you can spend vast amounts of dollars for everything else you want in your life being it from new cars, homes, designer clothes, etc...but, when it comes down to giving God the 10% He asks for; and by the way He tells you in His Word that He will if you will Trust Him He will give you back 30, 60, or 100 fold abundance for your faithfulness, all of sudden we have more excuses than Carter Liver Pills.  It's always great to "in theory" want your church or even that other church down the street that has all the "well to do" members to meet every and all wants and needs of it's members..but, you tell me how could you pay your bills on so little but you expect the church to do this.  Ok, that's it I'm done on this subject...you don't have to agree me if you don't want to because I didn't say it God did.

If you give nothing why do expect anything that's all I'm saying. Later.

It feels like I am in the middle of a "something or other" right now and that I have been captured in the vortex of it. I have been fluctuating between the reality that I can in fact change my present circumstances and have my life and those around me get better and the fiction that I am desperately trapped where I am now and can't escape from my "dilemma". 

I have been so worried about doing this or doing that that I literally have frozen myself in a time warp, it's like I am stuck in time in the middle of an iceberg and   I can't move either to the left or to the right. And you know what? I have become down right righteously upset with my present circumstances; you know the one that I let myself fall into, the preverbal Psalm 40 pit. "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." Seemingly I have gotten myself into a choke mode, and I am just about sick and tired of choking on something that I really don't have to be choking on.  Sadly, it's all my fault that I'm here in this position that I'm in. It's only been of late that I have began to cast my fears and doubts at the feet of my Lord and Savior. (what have I been thinking about?) obviously not doing that for sure. The story of Peter's Faith walk is just so timely and to the point in my life. As you remember the Apostle Peter saw Jesus out there on the water and said "Lord if it's you, bid me to come unto you" and what did Jesus say back to Peter? "come!" or get off your seat get on your feet and come here. I have got to get off my seat and do something if I am expecting something different to happen in my present circumstances. It's not like I am afraid of failure; I've failed more times than I care to think about..it's I just that I don't like to fail at anything that I do. It always costs me money and time and quite frankly both are too precious of a commodity to waste failing at anything I'm doing.  I used to have a little motto I had hung up around the house which said Winning isn't everything, but losing sucks! I know, it's not all that biblical and "religious" but it is to the point and it happens to be true.  I taught all my kids to hate failure, to never like it and never accept it as being an ok thing.  Winning at all and any cost isn't a cool thing to do, but never attempting to or ever stepping into the batters box to take your cuts at the pitches life throws at you..is pathetic.  Right now I'm feeling just on this side of being pathetic with myself.  I know that I can do many things in this adventure and journey we call life, and I know what I would like to be doing but me doing them or at least making an attempt to do them is a whole different story.  First of all I have to be aligned with God's will for my life...well, what is that, what is it? Well, I don't know exactly and that's what has got me kind of tied up at the dock of life right now.  That is why I am going to be going into some earnest and sincere prayer in the next couple of weeks concerning this whole deal (which will also consist of fasting) because the truth of this whole deal may be that I am exactly where I am supposed to be right now at this moment in my life, or I may not be..but, where ever I am supposed to be it is going to be my desire that God reveals this information to me. If a preacher is called into the ministry and a lawyer knows that he or she is supposed to lawyer, then logic only follows that I shouldn't be feeling like some piece of  driftwood bobbing up and down in the waves of "whatever" in my lifetime.

As I've mentioned before, maybe it's time for me to PUSH..pray until something happens. Well then let's see how this all pans out. I trust my God, and I know that I know that I know that He has an answer for me. I also know that He knows me and He knows my DNA make up and how I am hard wired so this quest isn't going to send me to some far away land or such, my answer is near me and it's as close to me as my next breath or thought so..I won't be anxious and I am not going to fret and stew about this. I haven't ever been able to solve a Rubic's cube and I you know what? I don't think that I ever will but I do know that God is bigger that a Rubic's cube and I also know that God isn't as confusing to me as one of those cubes are. He will give me the answers that I am seeking from Him because He promised me that He would. In the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 7 in verses 7 and 8  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." I'm asking, I'm seeking, and I'm knocking so He will answer, He will show me where, and He will open the door that I am trying to open. I serve an Awesome God! Alright then that's it for today...Keep Growing In His Word. Until we talk again..know that God Loves you! Later.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Considering what to do next...../ Well, now I know..kind of.

Ever find yourself caught in a vertex like mind set? Or you are finding yourself somewhere where you think possibly that it's looking like it's that time to move on...e.g. your job, your church, your whatever...Well, if the truth be known, and not by happen chance here at this post would be just one of those places. If you read my post from yesterday, you know by the beginning paragraph of that post that I had somewhat of a dilemma going on within my Spirit (within my mind, heart and soul) Well, please read on this morning even before I started towards my church and then during the Praise and Worship service proper God gave me a Word of knowledge concerning what I was going through and then some more Words on top of that initial one. Praise God!

I am at one of those spots in my life. In the Book of Galatians in chapter 5 verses 16-18 Paul the Apostle is speaking to the Galatians basically about having 2 mindsets. One being that our freedom is in Christ Jesus alone. Period. And the second one deals with the spirit of religion, or the dogma of it; it's rigid rules and it's bondage of complete obedience to it. And here is my dilemma if you will.  I have been ruined against the practice of religion. What I thought was praise and how I practiced it via my church, I have now come to believe to be completely inadequate and has left me wanting for more. I didn't know really how thirsty I was for Jesus, and just how lacking I was in my Praising of Him.  I have learned now what Praise is and should be, and it's not completely what it ought to be (as I've seen it practiced elsewhere) where I now attend church.  Note: this doesn't make everybody else wrong and me right, what it means to me anyway is is that I am no longer satisfied with just singing 3 songs, finishing them and then move on and go into the sermon part of the program. OK here's how it is now, this what God laid upon me 3 times today, twice before I got to church and then at church during the service.  I found myself getting upset with what was happening or wasn't happening BUT this truth was laid upon me: nobody is responsible for my Praise and Worship to God; it's up to me. Period! Here's the deal, IF everyone in the church building comes into the service with no intent of Praising and/or Worshiping God...it doesn't matter what they do or don't do, it's up to me to lift up the Name of Jesus and Praise and Worship Him with all of my abilities. (Please note: for the most part almost 95% of the people who come to our church to Worship actually come to Worship) The question was asked of me.."what are you bringing into this service son?" Well, when the Father asks "what are you bringing here son?" It makes you think, well it sure enough made me think anyway. What was I bringing into the service.  Was I Praising God with ALL of my heart? Was I Worshiping God with ALL of my heart? Was I there to fill a seat? What!?!  Who am I to be judging what my fellow Believers were or weren't doing.  What made me the authority of Praise and Worship at the church proper...because I went to a Revival service and what's happening there isn't happening here...yet? Well, it is coming, but not on my time table or on my schedule. It's coming for sure BUT in God's time and when "it" comes it's going to come in full God's FULL Glory. To be honest, I for the most part went to church to go to church so I could say that I went to church.  I did go to Praise and Worship Jesus but, I never went to get hooked up with the Power of the Holy Spirit. It came to my attention that Praising Jesus and Worshipping Him should be the first and most important agenda (or priority) of the church proper; the coming together of Believers of the corporate body. Granted the Temple of God is (in all actuality) you and me, that's where the Holy Spirit dwells (within us) but it's very important to Praise and Worship together as Believers in Christ Jesus. Right now I am at a point trying to decide if my present church (where I attend on a regular basis) is meeting my spiritual needs. And here is where the rubber met the road. Where I wrote sometimes yes and sometimes no...Well, this is where God spoke to me.  He asked another question of me.."are you confusing you're not getting what you want or when something doesn't happen when you want it to happen with I am working things out on my time table and just because what I am doing doesn't match with your time table you're upset and frustrated?" OH YEAH, that's what I was doing. IN SPADES that's what I was doing. And again, to be honest with you..sometimes it's yes and sometimes it's no. There are times sadly that I don't have a clue where we as a church are and/or where we as a church is heading towards. Then my preacher spoke another word of knowledge this morning.."IF you see a need that needs doing, do it!" What I was doing was waiting for someone else to do it. Not seeing the problem and solving it, I was sitting down and complaining about it.  I'm telling you when God starts answering your questions and you get the attention of Him, He will make sure that you get His answers, clearly. I did. I should know, it's my business to know but as a member of this church sometimes it seems like there are more chances of me not finding anyone who has an idea or a clue either of where we as the church is heading. Please let it be understood however that I don't lay this all at the feet of my pastor by no means; i.e., this confusion and/or lack of direction of my church proper. The truth is is what I am finding is that nobody wants to offend or give the appearance of offending anyone's "turf" if you will. This person does this, so we shouldn't do that and this couple always does this so I shouldn't rock the boat about that...I am telling you that if we as church are ever to do anything truly constructive, somebody is going to have to just call a meeting of the church members and just start expressing their views and concerns of what they're seeing being done or not seeing being done. (That someone of course would be me) To ask questions, not challenge anyone's "authority" or calling, but also that "somebody" is also going to have to pray and fast about this before (anything like that) can be considered or done, to simply pray and ask Father God to intervene in his life and/or with his present attitudes that he may be having right now with his church. But in the end (and here's the deal) he will have to be ready to either go along and be happy with the status quo of what's happening (the church's present direction or lack of direction) or be ready to move along and find somewhere else to Worship. I have spent too many years being frustrated with petty nonsensical things that happen or don't happen in churches and for me to be somewhere where you know that you know that you know that no matter what happens, nothing is going to happen if you know what I mean...it doesn't pay to stay. Your very soul will begin to wither as will your spirit.  The Holy Spirit within us is like a river flowing out from us to bring the Kingdom of God in amongst us.  The laying on of hands and praying for the healing of the sick, praying for blind eyes to see, and deaf ears to hear, casting out the demons and raising the dead..that's our calling our agenda our purpose, that's what we as born again Believers in Christ Jesus are supposed to do. This is going to  happen, it's coming...God is setting up the church members at our church to do this. Some who would hinder it will move on and out of the church and those who are hungry for this type of Praise and Worship will fill the seats of those who leave.  God isn't going to make time and space do things in our church until He is ready to do them and that means He's not going to do them a second before He's ready to do them or a second after He's ready to do them. Signs and wonders should be our mantles, they shouldn't be all that rare of a happening within and without of our churches walls. Now to get back and center this whole thing, in the book of Galatians the Apostle Paul wrote in chapter 5 verses 16-18 "My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?". And so here's the question. Am I being selfish for wanting to grow in Christ Jesus, or am I looking at where I am presently and not giving it the time according to God's schedule and not mine to grow itself into something powerful and full of the Holy Spirit.  There are times when the Holy Spirit is present and is as thick as honey within the Worship service and there are times when it (the entire worship and praise) is all over and done before it ever got a good head of steam on it.  I guess what I am trying to say (even if I did take this scenic route) is that the old ways, going to church to go to church is over for me.  I truly am at a juncture in my life as it stands right now.  I have to be willing to dive into the arms of Christ, into the waters of Life; that level which is for real over my head and I have to have the faith to believe that my God will sustain me and keep me afloat in this sea of doubt and confusion. I truly have to be like Peter when he stepped out of that boat when he took that first step out towards Jesus. I have to get focused on Him and remain that way or like Peter I will sink.  But, Praise God if I do sink He will like He did for Peter reach out His hand and pull me up towards Him anyway. We serve an Awesome God don't we. Ok then that's it for today...Keep Growing In His Word. Until we talk again. Stay strong in Christ. Later

• God spoke to me today and He showed me today that it's not everybody else's deal to make me happy or unhappy at my church, in my experience or in my journey, in my anything...it's between Him and me.  It's up to me lift up my Praise to Him, and He will deal with whom He needs to deal with and it's not up to me to worry about it.  He also let me know that if I am supposed to move on or go elsewhere..He'll make it more than crystal clear to me, I won't have to wonder or guess about it....I'll know. So there you have it. I prayed about it and Praise God He let me know without any uncertainly about what I was praying about.  So, we are going to continue to keep Growing In His Word. Amen and Amen.